County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., announced his support for Ms. Brookshire, and expressed an eagerness to work with the office that supervisors initiated in 2015.

“Supervisors urged the County Executive to create the Office on African American Affairs to lead Milwaukee County’s efforts to promote equal opportunity, reduce racial disparities, and tackle issues central to the rights and needs of African American residents of Milwaukee County.

“After waiting nearly two years for the County Executive to nominate a candidate to head the office that supervisors called for, I’m very pleased to support Nicole Brookshire’s appointment as Executive Director of the Office on African American Affairs, and welcome her to Milwaukee County government.

“I look forward to the office’s recommendations for changes in County programs and laws that disparately impact African Americans,” said Lipscomb.

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, led by then Supervisor (now Alderman) Khalif Rainey, initiated the creation of the Office on African American Affairs with a 2015 resolution urging the County Executive to create the independent office.

After several months with no action, supervisors again urged the County Executive to take action with a compromise resolution authored by Supervisor Michael Mayo, Sr., adopted in May of 2016.

Frustrated with the lack of a nomination for the office’s Executive Director, Supervisors felt compelled to formally call upon the County Executive to report on his effort to recruit an individual to lead the office on two occasions.

The County Executive finally submitted his nomination on September 5, 2017.